Storage box



R. A. SHAW STORAGE BOX May 4, 1954 Filed Feb. 25, 1952 Attorneys Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATES A'E'ENT OFFICE STORAGE BOX Island Application February 25, 1952, Serial No. 273,260

4 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to a storage box or bin of the type having an open or hopper front.

Usually a box or bin with an open or hopper front has no means for closing the front and thus requires careful handling if the box or bin is to be moved from one place to another.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a cover which will protect the merchandise within from dust or dirt and will also prevent the merchandise being spilled out of the box when transporting from on place to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide a coverwhich is so arranged that it may be held in closed position without danger of the cover swinging to open position accidentally.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cover which will be retained in open position so that the contents may be poured out of the hopper front as desired.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box. or bin with the cover in closed position;

Figure 2 is a fragmental perspective view of the forward end of the box, showing the cover in open position;

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of the front portion of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the friction member shown in section in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the cover alone with its retaining latch.

In proceeding with this invention, I have provided a cover which is of arcuate shape, and I have so pivoted the cover that as it is swung from closed to open position, it will follow closely the upper edge of the front wall of the open hopperlike front of the box. Also the cover is so arranged that its upper edge will fit snugly against the cross bar extending between the upper forward edges of the sides of the bin so that when the cover is in closed position, its opposite edges will be closed to the opposite edges of the mouth of the box which provides the opening for entrance thereto. I have also provided a friction plate which will hold this cover in open position by locating this plat about the pivot for the cover, while a latch engaging the upper edge of the front wall is carried by the cover so as to engage with this upper edge and hold the cover closed when swung to this position.

With reference to the drawings, the bin or box has a bottom wall Ill with a back Wall H extending upwardly therefrom and opposite side walls I2 and I3 extending upwardly from the bottom wall and forwardly from the back wall II. The front wall It extends upwardly on an incline from the forward edge of the bottom wall It] and the side walls l2 and I3 have portions l5 and I6 stepped inwardly from the side walls I2 and i3 and then continuing to the front wall Hi. These side wall portions are strengthened by doubling back their upper edges as at H and the front wall 54 is similarly strengthened by doubling back its upper edge as at IS.

The upper edges of the upstanding back and side walls H, i2, and I3 are formed inwardly and then outwardly parallel to the bottom wall forming a shoulder and then upwardly to provide a retaining lip 2i! extending along the upper edges of these upstanding walls H, l2, and it while a bar 2! extends across between the side wall lips and completes the fourth side of a retaining rim for the bottom of a box superimposed upon the box or bin herein described. This bar may be provided with some sort of a label holder at 22 if desired.

A cover designated generally 23 and shown in perspective in Figure 6 comprises an arcuate plate 2:! with opposite side arms 25 having curved flanges 26 extending over the outer surface of the plate 2t and secured thereto such as by welding. These arms 25 are substantially the sector of one fourth of a circle whose radius defines the curvature of the cover 24, there being provided an opening 21 on the axis of the radius of curvature of the plate 24 with stock 28 surrounding the same so as to provide for mounting the cover on the side wall portions and i6. These side wall portions are each provided with an opening 29 and 3t and a pivot pin or rivet 35 having a rounded head on its outer portion and a struck-up head 32 on its inner portion extends through the arm 25, side wall portion I5 and also the off-set overlapping edge of the separate side it so as to pivotally mount the cover on the side wall. A friction plate 32 is positioned between the arm 25 and the portion It so as to exert a spring pressure upon these two parts and hold the cover 23 in any position of adjustment, but mor particularly in open position, when moved to such position.

In order to hold the cover in closed position, I have provided a latch which comprises a resilient strip of steel 33 secured by rivets 34 to the outer surface of the curved plate 24 and extending along this outer surface thence through opening 4| to provide a bight or latch portion 35 and thence extending outwardly again and through an opening 36 as at 31 to provide a handle portion 38 which is beneath a flange 39 extending radially outwardly from the cover. This flange serves to protect the handle 38 of the latch from being struck from above for release. By this ar rangement it will be apparent that the bight of the latch 35 extends over the upper edge of the front wall M which will hold th cover in closed position, but for release the handle 38 will be lifted to withdraw the latch portion 35 from the upper edge of the front wall, thus permitting the cover to be swung about its pivotal axis from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3 to the position shown in Fig. 2.

The pivot location on the side wall portions [5 and I6 is substantially equally distant from the lower edge of the bar 2| and the upper edge of the inclined front wall l4, and the curvature of the plate 24 is substantially the arc struck from the center of this pivot point to the lower edge of the bar or forward edge of the inclined front wall l4. By this arrangement the upper edge 40 of the cover will be located in closed position close to the lower edge of the bar 2| or in open position close to the upper edge of the front wall M. It will also be readily apparent that when the cover is in open position, the friction plate 32 will hold it in this open position, thus permitting the contents thereof to be poured from the bin without the cover closing.

I claim:

1. A portable storage bin comprising a bottom wall, back wall and side walls extending upward- 1y therefrom, a front wall joining and upwardly and forwardly inclined from the bottom wall leaving an open mouth above its upper edge for entrance into the bin, a cover with side arms pivoted on the forward portion of the side walls to swing in overlapping relationship with the front wall, said cover having a flange at the lower edge thereof, a resilient latch adjacent the bottom edge of said cover inwardly of said flange and adapted to engage the upper edge of said front wall, and an operating handle on said latch extending through said flange to a position beneath said flange to be protected thereby.

2. A portable storage bin as set forth in claim 1 wherein said latch comprises a strip of material secured to the outer side of said cover, the portion thereof engaging the upper edge of the front wall projecting through the said cover, the handle portion comprising a continuous extension thereof which is bent outwardly therefrom and then downwardly.

3. A portable storage bin as set forth in claim 1 wherein a split resilient washer is positioned between said arms and side walls to maintain the cover in open position.

4. A portable storage bin as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flange extends radially outwardly to serve as a handle for moving the cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 803,184 Minchin Oct. 31, 1905 916,443 Hawk Mar. 30, 1909 922,852 Cannan May 25, 1909 1,080,478 Reis Dec. 2, 1913 1,198,504 Abraham Sept. 19, 1916 1,862,609 ,Shaw June 14, 1932 2,192,112 Vrusho Feb. 27, 1940 2,212,440 Irelan Aug. 20, 1940 2,267,891 Baker Dec. 30, 1941 2,418,659 Nyden Apr. 8, 1947 2,428,839 Di Salino Oct. 14, 1947 2,517,420 Gauvreau Aug. 1, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 137,088 Austria Apr. 10, 1934 

